Facts, Truth & Guidance | Philip Anthony Mitchell | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

Facts, Truth & Guidance

Philip Anthony Mitchell

2819 Church • May 25, 2020 • 37 min

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Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

In times of national crisis and deep uncertainty, believers must guard what enters their ears and souls. While bad information and false promises can lead to wrong choices, grounding ourselves in God's immutable Word provides the discernment needed to navigate hardship. By prioritizing facts over fiction, truth over lies, and God's guidance over every other voice, we can endure seasons of shaking with unwavering faith.

Themes

DiscernmentTruth vs. DeceptionSpiritual GuidanceGod's SovereigntyNavigating Crisis

Pastor's Points

1.

Avoid fake prophets

2.

Avoid fake news

3.

Avoid fake hopes

Key Points

1.
Partial obedience to God is full disobedience.
2.
Whoever controls your ears ultimately gains control over your soul and the direction of your life.
3.
During a crisis, emotional vulnerability makes it easy to open our hearts to the wrong voices.
4.
Wrong receiving leads directly to wrong believing, and wrong believing leads to damaging life choices.
5.
Proximity does not automatically equal credibility; just because a voice is close or accessible does not mean it speaks God's truth.
6.
Facts reflect our current reality, but God's truth reflects His eternal power and ultimate authority over that reality.
7.
We cannot make wise or godly decisions in a difficult season using bad or misleading information.
8.
While society, industries, and circumstances continually shift, the Word of God remains entirely unchanging.

Sermon Moments

“Whoever has our ears will have our soul, and whatever has our soul will have the direction of our life.”

“Proximity doesn't always mean credibility.”

“The truth was coming from far away in Jerusalem, but the lies were coming right from inside the camp in Babylon.”

“Wrong receiving is going to lead to wrong believing.”

“The fact is we are in a pandemic, but the truth is God is using it.”

“You cannot make good decisions with bad or wrong information.”

“Avoid fake prophets, avoid fake news, and avoid fake hopes.”

This Week

Guard your ear gates and eye gates this week by limiting exposure to media and voices that fuel panic or false hope.

Test every spiritual message or prophecy against the clear teaching of Scripture before accepting or acting on it.

Set aside consistent times of silence in God's presence to seek His personal guidance for your family.

Differentiate between temporary facts and eternal truth by declaring God's promises over your current hardships.

Avoid making major life decisions—such as moving, changing jobs, or ending relationships—out of emotional reaction rather than God's clear voice.

Stay committed to your local church community rather than wandering aimlessly through endless online streams.

Pray regularly for elected and local officials as they make decisions that affect your community during times of crisis.

Remember This

To survive difficult seasons of uncertainty, we must guard our hearts against deceptive voices and anchor our lives in the facts, truth, and guidance of God's unchanging Word.

A Challenge for You

Before you make critical life decisions in this season, stop and hear the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ above all others.

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.